Vibratory conveyor with non-biased oscillation

Abstract

A vibratory conveyor has a bed or trough that carries the workpieces, and supported above a base plate. A vibratory motor employs linear bearing to provide vibratory that is kept in the plane of the conveyor bed. A directional fabric material lying on the trough is smooth or slippery in one direction but grips the workpieces in the opposite direction. The vibratory motor keeps the motion in the back and forth direction, with almost no vertical component, for quieter operation and without shaking that can damage delicate workpieces. The direction of motion can be selected by orienting the fabric.

1. A linear vibratory conveyor for transporting articles, comprising
 a base plate; 
 a substantially rigid trough member disposed in a plane above said base plate; 
 linear vibratory drive means imparting a vibratory motion to said trough member in a predetermined direction in the plane of the trough member and without significant component in the direction normal to said plane, the linear drive means including a linear drive bearing supporting the trough member on said plane and permitting limited sliding action only in said predetermined direction; and 
 a biased material on said trough member for providing motion to said articles, the material having a predetermined bias direction, and with said bias direction being oriented on said trough in a conveyance direction for transporting said articles, 
 wherein said trough member is configured as a plurality of successive rows, with the bias material having its bias direction alternating from each row to the next. 
 
     
     
       2. The linear vibratory conveyor of  claim 1  comprising end pieces of said material at the end of each row having the bias direction thereof oriented laterally and towards the next successive row. 
     
     
       3. A linear vibratory conveyor for transporting articles, comprising
 a base plate; 
 a substantially rigid trough member disposed in a plane above said base plate; 
 linear vibratory drive means imparting a vibratory motion to said trough member in a predetermined direction in the plane of the trough member and without significant component in the direction normal to said plane, the linear drive means including a linear drive bearing supporting the trough member on said plane and permitting limited sliding action only in said predetermined direction; and 
 a biased material on said trough member for providing motion to said articles, the material having a predetermined bias direction, and with said bias direction being oriented on said trough in a conveyance direction for transporting said articles, 
 wherein the conveyor is configured as a parts orienter for arranging asymmetrical parts in a given direction, and including means for permitting correctly oriented ones of said parts to exit the conveyor to a successive stage, and means for returning incorrectly oriented ones of said parts back into the conveyor to be re-oriented.